To get a good idea of the areas that construction law can cover, it’s informative to look at the different areas that are taught to those going into the construction field. At The Construction Institute of Canada, the main areas of focus are as follows:
— Contracts– Bonds and Security– Tenders– Labour Relations/Employment Standards– The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act– Construction Safety and Human Rights– Environmental Law– The Court System and Construction Liens
Some of these main areas are then broken down into more specialized categories. For example, the session on human rights and safety in a construction zone will look at ways that workers should be kept safe and what can happen when their rights are breached. A worker who is injured may be able to get compensation.
However, this section will then go a bit deeper and look at the areas of workplace violence and harassment. These things can also violate a person’s human rights and they can lead to injuries, though the path to doing so is decidedly different than the one taken when an employee is forced to work with unsafe equipment or in an unsafe manner. The fact that these two are lumped together, though, shows just how important it is for a safe overall environment to be created.
As you can see, there are many different aspects to modern construction law, from the drafting of contracts to the use of liens on property to ensuring that workers’ rights aren’t violated. It’s crucial for all involved to know their rights, how the legal system applies and what changes and modifications are being made when new laws are introduced.
Source: Construction Institute of Canada, “Construction Law,” accessed July 21, 2016
